Made in Manchester has signed up comedian and presenter Emmanuel Sonubi to present a new documentary highlighting the racial inequality of organ donation and transplantation.
Dying For A Transplant is being made for BBC Radio 4 and highlights how people from ethnic minority backgrounds make up around 18% of the country’s population but represent over a third of people on the transplant waiting list.
Sonubi, who has presented “Live At The Apollo” and is now a regular face on TV, suffered heart failure during a gig and very nearly died on stage.
He was later told by doctors that he had a heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy and that he could need a heart transplant at any point in the future.
“This is a really important issue that needs to be spoken about more and I’ve been very fortunate to have such a great team at Made In Manchester behind me to help get this message out there,” said Sonubi.
Among those appearing are “Goodness Gracious Me” and EastEnders star Nina Wadia, who has a family history of organ transplantation, about why she thinks it’s so important that people from ethnic minority backgrounds are aware of the issue and what they can do to help.
“It was great working with Emmanuel again and although the subject matter is hard-hitting, life and death stuff, we’ve made a programme that doesn’t lecture the listener,” said Producer Kurt Brookes.
Dying For A Transplant is on BBC Sounds.
